STATESIDE
the revenues for the ever-changing Atlantic City gaming industry have since totaled billions of dollars.
Some early gaming successes are attributed to Mark Grossinger Etess, Mitchell’s older brother. He once served as Resorts’ CEO. Known for his cutting-edge marketing talent, Mark later joined the Trump organization as president/COO of the Taj Mahal in the 1980s. The smaller Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino also hired younger brother Mitchell as senior vice president of marketing & hotel operations in the late 1980s.
Given their life and working experience growing up on their family’s property, these brothers were obviously schooled in all aspects of hospitality operations. When Grossinger’s closed and was sold in 1986, Michell was the last general manager.
All went well until tragedy struck Atlantic City gaming and the Grossinger family in October 1989. The helicopter fl ying Mark (age 38), and two other senior Trump executives, from New York City to Atlantic City crashed and killed all three. Fate saved Mitchell… he had planned to fl y with Mark, but instead, decided to remain in New York City for meetings.
When Mitchell exited Atlantic City, he joined the 240-acre Mohegan Sun project in Southeast Connecticut during its early 1990s development stage. It opened in 1996 and is now among the largest American casinos. Like its Connecticut counterpart, Foxwoods Resort Casino, open since 1992, both dominate the populated southern New England landscape. In 2006, Mitchell assumed the president/ CEO positions of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA), which monitored the Tribe’s gaming endeavors. Later renamed Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE), it fi nally simplifi ed to Mohegan in 2022 to refl ect a growing global presence. As president/CEO from 2010-2015, Mitchell oversaw both domestic and international expansions. In the early 1990s, there were a few superstar casinos, many that were profi table venues and the rest that broke even. One operational purpose was to motivate tribal
members’ involvement in building new opportunities to improve their communities’ infrastructure. Since the 1990s, I have visited several tribal properties and witnessed the transformations from tents to full-fl edged gaming and hotel locations.
It has worked over these three decades. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) just released its FY2025 report, showing a 5.3 percent increase over FY2024. Tribal gaming’s record gross gaming revenue hit $46.2 billion from 545 casinos- run by 246 tribal governments in 29 states- that operate Class II and Class III gaming.
However, despite seven of NIGC’s eight regions showing growth, the larger tribal gaming operations still enjoy the highest numbers. Nine percent earned higher than $250 million, or a collective 50-plus percent of total revenue.
Mitchell maintains an industry presence. He appears on gaming conference panels, which is where we met years ago. After introducing myself, I described my happy childhood memories at Grossinger’s and he graciously thanked me.
Clearly, four generations of the Grossinger/
Etess lineage created his legacy. I wonder what grandmother Jennie would think of his accomplishments? I’m sure she’d be very proud.
Sharon Harris
Sharon has worked in the casino and coin- operated amusement industries since the 1980s. In the early 1990s, Sharon transferred her public relations and journalism skills to the gaming industry. She wrote her fi rst feature for Casino International predecessor EUROSLOT magazine in 1994.
As Associate Editor, North America for Casino International, Sharon has chronicled the explosive growth of U.S. gaming and reported on its most signifi cant changes. She has traveled across America to participate in dozens of industry events and has interviewed
hundreds of gaming operators,
executives and suppliers.
BMM qp strip CI
Feb26.indd 1
11/2/26 09:54
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
